On The Precipice: The Next Generation of Medicine Begins Now
According to recent polling, most Americans say it’s critical for the federal government to protect public health through measures such as combating diseases and preventing them from the start. Confidence that U.S. scientists will act in all our best interests is rising—and for good reason, given our nation’s track record of breakthrough medical advances. There’s no better time than now to rededicate ourselves to that mission. The defining question is: Will we seize the moment?
Turning points like this are often recognized only in hindsight, in part due to status quo bias—a preference for established treatments over more innovative technologies. We can avert the pull of complacency by mobilizing our expertise and resources for science that defies convention. This includes government support for research accelerated through public-private partnerships with biotech firms of all sizes, prioritizing the cruelest illnesses we face.
The pressing health needs we face range from emerging biological threats to more familiar concerns. We’ve all seen headlines about elevated risks of tickborne diseases, and many of us know someone among the tens of millions living with infection-associated chronic illnesses—among them Long Lyme, Long COVID, and fibromyalgia—each burdened by constant pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and brain fog. Our opportunities to change and save lives include developing truly effective non-opioid painkillers, therapies for debilitating disorders like PTSD, advanced treatments for chronic diseases, and enhanced biotech defenses.
Promising high-risk, high-reward biomedical research is already underway through federal agencies like ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health), and legislation advancing in Congress will secure the vital roles of the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health in this work. In addition, AI-based tools are propelling our capacity for scientific leaps. Coupled with decades of success in public-private endeavors that deliver groundbreaking innovations, we’ve never been better equipped to solve our toughest medical challenges.
There are cancers to cure and climbing rates of heart disease to beat. Health systems remain vulnerable to pandemic-scale outbreaks. Afflictions like Alzheimer’s continue to evade effective treatment, and millions of Americans suffer from incapacitating post-viral syndromes. Our highest healthcare priority must be bridging the gap between our latest medical strides and real-world patient needs. And it should be lost on none of us that as China surges ahead of the U.S. in clinical trial activity, its pharmaceutical firms are stepping up licensing agreements with Western drugmakers.
Even the slightest pause in progress can open the door to new infectious threats or known diseases reaching epidemic proportions. A world-leading era of medical science, with all its life-changing potential, is within our grasp. With research gains across a myriad of illnesses, optimized clinical trials, and enhanced models for drug and vaccine development, our scientific infrastructure is poised to drive transformative change.
The best chance to harness our wealth of expertise lies in a combination of AI-boosted biotech, public-private ventures to expedite disease-fighting solutions, and streamlined pathways for government approvals. Simply put, it’s time to match our exceptional legacy of know-how with the collective force of our government and scientific resources. It is also our responsibility.
Our scientists have saved countless lives through perseverance and ingenuity, and they will save many more. How we answer the call for greater and more urgent progress is a story still being written. With the strong support of U.S. leadership, those of us working to close gaps in patient care can translate our findings into treatments, cures, and preventive medicine that profoundly improve public health. We’re on the precipice, and the right path forward is full speed ahead. In a nation built on discovery, we can forge a new future of breakthroughs that enhance the lives of millions in America and beyond.
The next generation of medical science is happening now, and it’s ours to lead.
About the Author
Seth Lederman is co-founder, CEO and chairman of Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., a biotech company dedicated to developing novel medicines for central nervous system disorders. The FDA recently approved TonmyaTM (cyclobenzaprine HCl) sublingual tablets as a treatment for adults with fibromyalgia. It is the first FDA-approved therapy for fibromyalgia in over 15 years.